Today, I made my first 2004 trip to Busse
Woods Forest Preserve. With a wild 80 degree day, I was much warmer than the
bass. That water can't be much above 50 degrees. Look at those trees behind me,
not a leaf in sight !!!! We haven't had much rain this April, so I was expecting
the water to be much clearer than it actually was. Visibility was about a foot
to a foot and a half. Small runt bass (and a crappie) were chasing my white
Mepps inline spinner, but the only two "keepers" that I saw today (17.75 " and
14") went for the Finesse Worm trick, dead-sticked next to woody cover. Now when
I say "dead-sticked", I mean DEAD. Pitch it out10 to 15 feet from shore, let it
sink to the bottom, and do nothing, NOTHING. Count to 50, then pick it up and
move down the bank 10 feet and repeat. When you plunk it down on a bass's nose,
he'll stare at it for a good 15 seconds, then slowly eat it and start swimming
off at a lazy pace. The water is cold, and the bass are catchable, but it's a
far cry from the mid-May pre-spawn slug-fest, .... but it's Coming Soon !!!!

14"
Crappie

Check out my last
250 trips, click on the date to see the report
and pictures.